It is known to provide an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, such as an air bag, for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle. Air bags are inflatable between a portion of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. One particular type of air bag is a frontal air bag inflatable between an occupant of a front seat of the vehicle and an instrument panel of the vehicle. Such air bags may be driver air bags or passenger air bags. When inflated, the driver and passenger air bags help protect the occupant from impacts with parts of the vehicle such as the instrument panel and/or a steering wheel of the vehicle.
Passenger air bags are typically stored in a deflated condition in a housing that is mounted to the vehicle instrument panel. An air bag cover is connectable with the housing and/or instrument panel to help enclose and conceal the air bag in a stored condition. Upon deployment of the passenger air bag, the air bag cover opens to permit the air bag to move to an inflated position. The air bag cover opens as a result of forces exerted on the cover by the inflating air bag.
Driver air bags are typically stored in a deflated condition in a housing that is mounted on the vehicle steering wheel. An air bag cover is connectable with the housing and/or steering wheel to help enclose and conceal the air bag in a stored condition. Upon deployment of the driver air bag, the air bag cover opens to permit the air bag to move to an inflated position. The air bag cover opens as a result of forces exerted on the cover by the inflating driver air bag.
Driver and passenger air bags are configured to have desired areas of coverage and also to have a desired degree of depth. Typically, an air bag is configured to have a desired inflated depth through the use of structures, such as internal tethers, that interconnect opposing panels (e.g., front and rear panels) of the air bag. The tethers limit the degree to which the opposing panels can move away from each other when the air bag is inflated. The tethers also can add to the complexity of the air bag construction.